Fading Scars: A Series of Malec One Shots

War of Hearts

This is my take on the Lydia/Alec wedding from the Shadowhunters show (which I love with a dying passion)

Alec stood at the altar, arms behind his back and hands clasped together. Not that anyone could tell or even be bothered to notice, but he was nervous. His body shook. His palms were sweaty. Every word and smile he gave people seemed forced; fake.

"Alec? Are you okay?" Jace placed a hand on his parabatai's shoulder.

"I'm fine. Just anxious to get this over with, that's all." Alec looked at Jace, who had a look of concern on his face. "Jace. I said I'm fine."

Jace shrugged. "Whatever you say. I'm with you every step of the way, brother. Whatever it is that you decide."

Alec had no idea what he meant by that, but he nodded anyway. The doors leading into the room had opened and Isabelle strode in, a smile on her face as she carried the gold ceremonial bands to the altar. She smiled at Alec, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Then came Lydia. There was no denying the fact that she was beautiful in her wedding gown. Gold with designs around it, she looked incredible with her golden hair pinned up. She looked like a goddess sent from Heaven itself.

She approached the altar and smiled up at Alec, her eyes sparkling. Alec forced a smile back. This was it. This was really happening. He was getting married. There was no turning back now.

Brother Jeremiah raised a hand. The ceremony will now begin He said, his voice echoing in their minds. Please present the exchanging of gifts, as such with the tradition of marriage between Nephilim

Isabelle presented a gold band for Lydia to take. Lydia placed the band on Alec's wrist, and he did the same. This was the easy part. Alec took a deep breath as Jace presented the steles to create the Marriage runes on their skin.

Please make a rune upon the skin of your bethrothed Brother Jeremiah indicated his wrist and heart, showing them where to place the runes.

Lydia picked up her stele first and touched the pure adamas crystal, the tip of the stele lit up. She looked up at him under her dark lashes, as if asking permission.

Alec took a shaky breath as she pulled up his sleeve and prepared to create the rune on his skin. His heart pounded in his chest as the stele neared his skin; he could feel the heat of it now. It was so close to his skin-

"Wait," he breathed out. "Please."

Whispers had begun to rise in the crowd as he fixed his sleeve down. Lydia lowered the stele and looked at him in confusion. "Alec? What's wrong?"

Alec looked at the floor. "I.....I can't do this, Lydia. I'm so sorry....but I'm in love with someone else."

The whispers grew even more loud as Alec set down his stele and took off the gold band on his wrist. He heard his mother hiss at his father, but he didn't dare look to see what the expression on her face was. Probably disgust. He almost felt disgusted himself. But he couldn't keep hiding anymore. It was eating at his insides not being to reveal how he truly felt.

"You're....in love with someone else? Who?" Lydia whispered.

Alec took a nervous breath. "Magnus. Magnus Bane."

The room had suddenly gone silent. The only thing Alec was able to hear was the beating of his own heart, which everyone else could probably hear too. It was loud in his chest. The more he thought about Magnus, the louder it got. But the huge smile on his sister's face seemed to comfort him somehow. Even Jace was smiling at him.

Lydia's face relaxed and she chuckled. "Ah. I finally understand now. I know that feeling, Alec. When you can't get them off your mind and you ache for them to be next to you. I was in love too, once. It's a beautiful thing." She held his cheek with a hand and stroked it with her thumb. "Go. Go to him. It's okay. I'll be fine."

Alec, surprised, gently touched her shoulder and turned, leaving the altar with determination set on his face.

"Alec!" His mother, Maryse, blocked his path as he approached the door. "What are you doing?!"

Alec stared ahead at his path, not looking at her once. "Enough," he said, and kept walking. He heard a cheer (probably Simon. Isabelle invited him) and threw open the institute doors. He knew exactly where he was going.

He ran. He ran faster than he ever had his entire life. He felt the Speed rune on his arm burn as he ran his stele over it, activating its powers. He was practically flying as he ran, his feet barely touching the ground under them. Cars and people and buildings were a blur.

It had begun to rain when he arrived at his destination. Magnus' apartment loomed under a dark rain cloud and it looked intimidating from the outside where he stood. Wiping the wet hair that fell into his eyes, he approached the front door and banged on it with a fist.

"Alright, alright! I'm coming! Impatient, much?" Magnus opened the door, freezing when he saw Alec standing in front of him. He looked gorgeous with wet hair that hung down in his face and a gold suit that looked like the most expensive thing he owned. "Alec? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be getting married?"

Alec was breathing fast as he stared at Magnus. His skin tingled and his palms began to sweat again, mixing in with the rain that pelted down on him from above. "I couldn't do it. It didn't feel right. Why didn't you show up?"

"Your sister Isabelle invited me, but I declined the invitation," Magnus raised an eyebrow. "And you came here....because?"

Alec took a deep breath and grabbed Magnus by the collar of his shirt, pulling him outside in the rain and planting a kiss on his lips.

And suddenly the world was no longer just black and white, but rather filled with every color of the rainbow. Alec's lips moved with Magnus'; exploring every bit of it, wanting more. Magnus, surprised at first, relaxed and held Alec by the waist and kissed him back. He nearly whimpered when Alec pulled away, but when he saw Alec gazing down at his mouth, he knew then to take his chance. He pulled Alec in, kissing him with a fire that could probably out burn the sun itself.

When they finally pulled away from each other, Alec was breathing heavily. His eyes were wild, but it was the kind of wild Magnus had seen a million times before whenever he saw someone who had just woken up and realized what they wanted for the first time in their life.

He was in love.

"I......I can't breathe....." Alec chuckled as he tried to catch his breath.

Magnus chuckled. "It's okay. It's okay.....Alexander. You never cease to surprise me."

Alec laughed, pushing his drenched hair from his eyes. "Uh.....you wouldn't mind if I came in? I'm kind of cold. And very wet."

Magnus laughed. "We both are. I can start a fire if you'd like. And give you a change of clothes too. You ruined a perfectly good suit....hope it's refundable."

Alec looked down at his gold suit, which was now covered in mud and drenched with water. "Honestly? I don't care. I don't care anymore."

Magnus beamed and ushered Alec inside. "That's a good thing. This is the first step to happiness, isn't it?"

Alec smiled as Magnus handed him a change of fresh clothes. "We.....haven't had our first date yet."

Magnus smirked. "Oh? And what do you propose we do about that?"

Alec blushed. "Maybe.....go for drinks sometime?"

Magnus smiled, feeling his own heart beat faster. "I'd love that, Alexander. I'd love that a lot."